Earlier this month, PPG Paints named its 2017 Color of the Year: Violet Verbena, which the brand calls “a grayed-off, moody purple with a chameleon-like presence.”

“Violet Verbena is as nostalgic as it is modern. It’s substantial in a world that can sometimes seem so temporary, luxurious in a harsh world that needs pampering, and introspective and private in an invasive world,” says Dee Schlotter, senior color marketing manager at PPG. “Purple was unanimously selected as the 2017 Color of the Year by PPG’s global color experts for its distinctive qualities. We are seeing this shade of violet on the runway in fashion, and in textiles for the commercial and residential segments.”

The color reflects changing attitudes and social mores. “Consumers now embrace the middle ground between masculine and feminine, young and old, and work and leisure,” Schlotter explains. “Violet Verbena’s blending of gray and violet reflects that middle ground.”

An international team of PPG’s 20-plus color stylists determined this year’s style and color trends, identifying them across categories including homes, electronic devices and vehicles. The Color of the Year is applicable across these and other categories. Says Schlotter, “Violet Verbena blends perfectly with many different surroundings, like a chameleon. It looks polished yet playful in a child’s room, and it is calming enough to be used in hospitals or other spaces that require tranquility.”

The Color of the Year is featured in each of PPG Paints’ four color trend stories for 2017, which are focused on a “Pendulum” theme: Hourglass (earth), Es/sence (water), Impower (fire) and Biocentric (air).